Wireless charging in the latest iPhones could be a watershed moment for the technology and lead to its adoption in other sectors, industry bosses have claimed.

Professor Ben Potter of the TSBE (Technologies for Sustainable Built Environments) Centre, University of Reading was recently interviewed for the above article; Read it here: I phones and electric vehicles.

The TSBE Centre are currently working with and Anthony Simpson on a project researching ‘Real world considerations for the grid integration of electric vehicles’.

The TSBE Centre, Dr Ben Potter and Dr Phil Coker are running an associated event in October focusing on:

Power system benefits of Electric Vehicles: matching the right solution to the right problem

Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing power system, there is both excitement and concern about the implications of charging a growing fleet of Electric Vehicles (EVs). Though still a small fraction of the overall vehicle market, EV uptake is seeing dramatic growth, with numerous factors coming together that could accelerate this trend. Air quality concerns, in particular, are coinciding with falling battery costs and new vehicle launches, leading to ever more ambitious growth prophecies and policy targets. Such moves are exemplified by France’s recently announced target to end sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040. At the same time, concerns are growing about the potential impact that uncontrolled EV charging could have on the safe and secure operation of our local and national power networks.

The University of Reading have been working with energy companies to understand and plan for the energy system challenges brought by increasing adoption of variable renewable generation. One strand of this work lies with mapping practical, real world flexibility solutions to emergent challenges. The role for controlled EV charging lies at the forefront of this research. The University are now seeking to bring together energy industry experience in this area with findings from the latest research into wind and solar energy behaviour, as well as to promote awareness of the importance of choosing when vehicles charge for maximising carbon benefits.

The event will bring together experts from across the energy and automotive industries to explore how controlled charging of electric vehicles can best meet the growing challenges of variability in our power system. Steered by current project partners, the day will involve stakeholders from across the whole energy supply chain, from the automotive sector, from enabling companies and from academia. Participants will hear from the latest research on managing power system variability alongside learning from real world implementation of controlled charging solutions. The event is funded through the University of Reading’s Impact Support Program and supported by Drive Electric, Costain, Energy UK and the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce. Insight will be supplemented by the experience of a diverse range of industry participants including scene setting presentations from Tesla and National Grid as well as early findings from Western Power Distribution’s Electric Nation project.